Key holder



Sept. 15. 1925 G. A. HOLMES KEY HOLDER Filed Jail. 26, 1924 Patented se i. 15. 1925.

uNlrEosrA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. HOLMES, OF NEWTON CENTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGHOB 1'0 UNITED STATES IASTENEB COHPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

KEY HOLDER.

Application filed January 26, 1924. Serial No. 688,879.

To all whom it may cmwem:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn A. HoLMus, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newton Center, in the county of Middle 5 sex and State of Massachusetts. have -inventedan Improvement in Key Holders, of

which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawing designating like parts.

This invention relates to a key holder of the kind in which a number of holders, of spring hooks, one for each of the individual keys, are connected with a frame, or base plate, and contained in a case, usually of leather, which encloses the keys when not in use.

The invention relates especially to novel features of construction of the means for connecting the individual key holders with the supporting base plate, and for securing the latter in the flexible case, and includes other features of construction which will be hereinafter pointed out. I

Fig. 1, is a front elevation of a key holder embodying this invention, with the case' open to better show the key holding devices within;

2, an enlarged sectional detail on line X,- X, of Fig. 1, showing the connection of one of the individual holders with the base plate and of said base plate with the case;

3, an enlarged front elevation of a portion of the base plate;

4, a longitudinal section of the base plate, with the holder attaching devices in position therein, but not yet brought to their final condition;

Fig.5, a similar section, but with the individual holder attaching devices shown in plan and in their completed condition; and

6, a front elevation showing a modification of the connection of the base plate for the holders with the enclosing case.

* Referring to Fig. 1, the general arrangement of the parts is similar to that exhibited in key holders of this general character, as heretofore constructed, and comprises an enclosing case 2, of flexible material, usually leather, having a body, or main portion, of a width corresponding to the length of the series of individual key holders 3, and two flaps 21, 22, provided with the members 23,

24,0f a fastening device, which may be one of the usual snap fasteners such as employed for fastening gloves and the like.

In accordance with this invention, the in-.

dividual key holders 3, are connected with the base plate 4, having-flanges 40, along its longer edges so as to give it the form of a shallow channel, as best shown in Fig. 2, and said base plate is provided with a number of holes 41, corresponding to the number of individual key holders 3, to be prd vided for, and adapted to receive connecting devices, which as best shown in Fig. 4 are the usual tubular rivets 5, or devices having a hollow cylindrical body, closed at one end and provided with a flange 50, around the other end, such as are used to rivet or fasten metallic parts, by flattening the closed end against one face of the parts to be fastened, phile the flange 50, rests against the other ace.

In accordance with the present invention, after the rivets 5, are passed through the holes 41, they are secured to the base plate 4, by flattening the closed ends transversely,

as shown at 51. Figures 2 and 5, which operation expands the portion of the rivet that is at the inside of the base plate 4, in the plane of flattening and thus renders the rivet incapable of being withdrawn through the hole 41, in the base plate, through which it was inserted when in uncompressed con dition, as shown in Fig. 4.

The rivets are thus securely retained in the holes in the base plate, but are somewhat loosely held therein, so thatthey are capable of swivelling freely in their connection with the base plate.

The closed ends of the rivets are originally dome shaped as shown in Fig. 4, and when flattened transversely become substantially circular in shape, as shown in .F i

5, and this flattened circular portion of eac rivet is provided with a central opening 52, in which the hook, or key holder 3, is engaged, as shown in Fig. 2.

The individual key holders 3, are composed 'of spring wire curled around at one end to form an eye 30, in which the annular flattened portion of the rivet is contained, thus aflording a secure, but free connection of the key holder 3, with the rivet, so that the key holder may swing to practically any position desired relative to the supporting rivet, and may also swivel, or turn freely relative to the supporting rivet, and may also swivel, or turn freely realtive to the base piece 4, by reason of the swivel connection of the rivet with the base plate above described.

The main portion of the key holder is curved at 31, to form a relatively large-loop to contain the key, and the end of the outer branch of the loop is turned inward, as shown at 32, towards the shank 33, of the holder, which constitutes the standing or main side of the key holding loop.

The inwardly turned end 32, is retained by the spring action of the material of the key holder against the shank 33, as shown in Fig. 2, and constitutes what is practically a latch to prevent the accidental escape of the key, as sometimes happens when the outer branch of the loop merely rests against the shank and then extends further in the same direction (instead of being turned back, or inward) to form a divergent space for the entrance of the key.

The inwardly extended portion, or tongue 32, of the loop in the present case converges towards the shank in the direction towards the interior of the loop, so that the key may be readily introduced by forcing it towards the loop and thus springing the outer branch away from the shank sufiiciently to permit the passage of the key beyond the end of the tongue 32, which thus enters the opening in the handle end of the key as usual, and permits the same to be readily passed into the loop where it remains securely retained.

With the construction as thus far described, the base plate 4, might be connected with the casing 2, in any suitable or usual manner, and inthe modification shown in Fig. 6, said base plate is extended, as shown at 43, along one side of the channel in which the flanged ends 50, of the rivets 5, are contained, and said extension 43, is provided with openings by which it may be secured to the material of the casing 2, by eyelets, or

rivets, as is quite commonly the case in key holders of this general character, as heretobefore made.

As a further feature of the present invention, however, the main body portion of the casing is provided with a pocket 25, for the base plate 4, said pocket being formed be tween two layers of material, of which the case 2, constitutes one, which are sewn together as indicated at 26, after the base plate has been properly introduced between the layers.

The inner layer 27 of the pocket is provided with holes 28, corresponding to the individual connecting rivets, theflattened ends 51, of which are saidholes, as shown in igures 1 and 2, so

assed through the 6 casing, the base plate 4, being entirely enclosed and concealed within the pocket.

As'shown in this instance the inner side, or layer 27, of the pocket is composed of an integral portion of the material of the casing 2, which is folded inward, after the ends 51, of the rivets have been passed through the openings 28, thereof, and is then sewn to the main body of the casing; but if desired, a separate layer sewn along the other edge by a seam similar to the seam 26, at the lower 7 edge, might be used. With this construction, the keys are securely held, but each individual key may be manipulated with perfect freedom, and there are no metal parts exposed inside of the case except the keys and the individual key holding spring hooks, and the eyes for the hooks composed of the perforated flattened ends 51, of the swivelled attaching rivets.

The flanges 40, on the base plate form a channel for containing the flanged ends of the rivets, so that they will not bear against the casing and tend to wear the same, or to have their free swivelling movement impeded at all by pressure of the leather, or casing material, against them.

As a matter of manufacture, the base plate and connected individual key holders constitute substantially a complete article of manufacture or commerce such as would naturally be manufactured by metal workers, and might be furnished to other manufacturers who would provide the cases and would properly secure the metallic parts thereto.

While the tubular rivets, applied as shown, constitute the most eificient and least.

for engagement with the key and an eye or smaller loop at one end, combined with a base plate provided with a corresponding number of holes, and tubular rivets applied in said holes with the flanged end of each rivet against one side of the base plate, and the closed end of the rivet extended througli and loose in the corresponding hole, and flattened transversely at the'other side. of the base plate and having a perforation in the flattened portion to form an annulus which is engaged with the eye of the corresponding key holder.

2. The combination of a base plate provided with flanges along its edges and holes "ersely at the outer side of the plate and through the portion lying between said provided With perforations in the flattened flanges, with tubular rivets extending portions, and invidual key holding spring 10 through said holes and having their flanged OOkS having an eye a h end of 831011 5 ends lying against the inner side of the plate g g Wlth the fla n d p rforated portlon in'the channel between the flanges thereof, of the 001T p g and having their closed ends flattened trans- GEORGE A. HOLMES. 

